A lot of people feel unsure about the need to stagger their sod during installation. If you are among them, shake off all your doubts. Laying sod in a staggered pattern, much like the way bricks are laid in a wall, is a prerequisite for a healthy and pretty-looking lawn. If you do not do that, it may lead to problems later.
Why staggering is important?
If you do not stagger sod it can lead to several problems and some of these may go unnoticed until your lawn grows to an extent.
Water Runoff Issues
When you do not stagger the sod this may lead to water runoff issues. Just think, if all the seams are lined up straight, the water will just run down on slopes. This will surely cause soil erosion and the lawn will not get proper hydration. Staggering the seams essentially breaks up these channels, leading to better and uniform water distribution across the entire sod surface. This is necessary for healthier root development and helps avoid dry spots.
Better Stability and Less Disruption
Staggering the sod helps improve turf stability, more so for newly laid turf. Lined up seams lead to weak points that tend to lift or shift, more so during the initial watering phase. The same thing can happen if anyone walks on your new lawn before the rooting is done. A staggered pattern leads to a better network of sod pieces, reducing the possibility of developing gaps. If there are animals like raccoons seeking grubs or insects in the soil, they will easily lift non-staggered sod.
Techniques Need for Proper Staggering
To perform staggering correctly, begin your first row of sod along a straight line. It can be alongside a driveway, sidewalk etc. Then, on the next row, you have to cut the first piece of sod by half. This will help you avoid seam aligning. A six-inch offset would be just fine, though it can be a little off the mark, too.
Do not go overboard about this as slight irregularities help disguise seams more naturally. You will see lawn professionals deliberately varying their staggered spacing between 5 and 8 inches. This little difference makes your eyes feel the grass is spread in a straight line.
Sod Staggering and Other Methods
While staggering sod is commonplace and highly recommended, some people also try alternative approaches. You may, for example, try the “checkerboard” approach. It involves alternating different types of grass sod, such as Bermuda and St. Augustine grass. This will help create a unique aesthetic pattern. These alternative patterns are visually interesting but often cut down on optimal root establishment. To thwart uneven growth rates, you have to master lawn management.
Another less common practice is blending sod installations and seeds. This is, however, a hybrid approach and complicates lawn care. It also heightens the risk of weeds, and pests. Staggering is the best choice for effective and straightforward sod installation.
When You Can Do Without Staggering?
You will be rather hard-pressed to find a scenario when staggering sod isn’t useful. This may not be needed in repairing isolated patches. When the patch size is less than a square foot or two, you will not need staggering. In such cases, the edges naturally blend into the adjacent established grass. For larger areas, you will need proper staggering for the desired results.
